Comfort is a primary consideration for consumers when selecting footwear. A key factor affecting the comfort level of footwear is the design of its sole.
Sole is the primary weight bearing part of footwear. Therefore the structure of the sole directly affects the performance of footwear. Athletes, in particular, have more requirements for a good pair of shoes. They want footwear not only comfortable to wear, but also effective in shock absorption and offer stable support in sports. Such features are critical for athletes to achieve good results in competitions as well as to avoid foot injuries.
Currently, existing technologies for shock absorption focus primarily on increasing the thickness of the sole. Thickened soles do help with shock absorption, but added thickness also makes footwear heavier, which is generally undesirable for sports shoes. Added weight also decreases footwear's anti-skid effect, which lead to poor stability in the sole's weight support capability. Further, thickened sole does not offer good bounce power to an athlete in sports. Such designs do not meet the human biomechanical design requirements and make the sole undesirable for sports footwear.
Therefore, great needs exist for researchers and designers in the footwear industry to develop a sole that provides both good shock absorption and stable weight support.